Sherrone Moore’s rise at Michigan was swift, emotional, and, ultimately, short-lived. The 39-year-old coach, once hailed as the steady hand to guide the Wolverines through the chaotic post-Harbaugh transition, is now out of a job after being fired with cause for engaging in an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member.
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What began as a tenure defined by highs, most notably two hard-fought wins over Ohio State, ended abruptly on Wednesday when Michigan announced Moore’s immediate termination. According to the university, the decision came after “credible evidence” emerged during an internal investigation. “U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement.
“Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
Moore signed a contract extension worth $6 million per year — a $5.5 million base plus a $500,000 retention bonus — running through 2029. That would have meant roughly $24 million owed to Moore over the next four years.
Under normal circumstances, firing him would have triggered a 75% buyout of what remained.
As of Dec. 1, USA Today’s college football salary database listed his buyout at $13.89 million, the second-lowest among Big Ten coaches with publicly available figures. Under normal circumstances, terminating Moore would have required Michigan to pay that buyout, or potentially even more, depending on how retention bonuses were accounted for. But the university fired Moore for cause, citing “credible evidence” of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. That designation gives Michigan the contractual right to withhold some or even all of the money owed.
Whether Moore ultimately receives any portion of that buyout remains unclear. Cases involving “for cause” firings, especially those tied to personal misconduct, have frequently ended in lengthy legal battles, with some coaches able to reclaim portions of their contract in arbitration or court.
But at least for now, Michigan appears poised to avoid what could have been a multimillion-dollar payout.
Just days ago, Moore was building his staff, hiring special teams veteran Kerry Coombs, perhaps planning what he was going to do with all that money and speaking confidently about the 2026 recruiting class. Two days before being fired, he told reporters:
“I think we’ve got a really good foundation of where we need to be, but we’ve got a lot to work on.”
Associate head coach Biff Poggi will serve as interim head coach for the Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl against Texas. Michigan must now stabilize its staff, retain recruits, and chart a new course, all while distancing itself from a controversy that no one in Ann Arbor saw coming.
